Predictions 101 — Week 8

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We had an intriguing mixed bag last week, going 4-3 straight and 4-2-1 versus “the number.”

P101 desperately needs to stop backing Mack Brown in the Red River Shootout. But we nearly pegged “USC” at LSU on the dot. And it’s too bad we didn’t sub our Oregon State over BYU winner in for what seems to be a weekly miss with the Upset Special.

Oh well, on to this week’s selections.

TOP 5 GAMES OF THE WEEK (Thurs., Oct. 18, thru Sat., Oct. 20)

1) No. 9 South Carolina at No. 3 Florida
Sat., Oct. 20 — 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

We love this sort of old school showdown. Run the ball. Play defense. Games that are decided in the trenches warm our hearts.

The Gator ground game pounded out 326 rushing yards at Vanderbilt last week with quarterback Jeff Driskel accounting for 177 of them. Florida, of course, won’t enjoy that kind of freedom against South Carolina’s defense.

The Gamecocks rank fifth in the country in scoring defense (12.29 points allowed per game) and 12th in total defense (296.29 yards).

Florida has a wicked stop unit of its own that’s statistically a mirror image of South Carolina, ranking just one step below in each category — sixth in scoring (12.33) and 13th in total defense (297.17).

If the Gamecocks are going to win this one on the road and claim their first three-game winning streak over the Gators, they’ll have to start quickly.

Florida has been particularly dominant in second halves this season, outscoring foes, 98-23. Furthermore, the Gators have allowed just one touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter this year.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at the stats, but the Florida offensive line was banged up last week. Three starters are expected to return to the lineup for South Carolina’s visit. Having all hands on deck will be a great benefit to Gator offensive coordinator Brent Pease, who lines up with seven offensive linemen at times.

That sort of variety and show of strength will serve Florida well in its attempt to neutralize South Carolina’s elite front seven, which is based on quickness and anchored by defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

In these types of games, field position on the gridiron makes all the difference. That leads us to punting, yes punting. The Gators rank fourth in the nation in net punting. The Gamecocks are 104th.

Opening point spread: Florida by 3 1/2

The pick: Florida 23-17

2) No. 4 Kansas State at No. 17 West Virginia
Sat., Oct. 20 — 7 p.m. ET, FOX

This is a tough one to call. If fists were able to be thrown during a conference call, they would have been flying between P101 pugilists/predictors.

As always, it doesn’t really matter what we argue about. In this case, it depends on which Mountaineer team shows up. Since the game is being contested in Morgantown, we’d be very surprised if Dana Holgorsen’s crew laid an egg that resembled last Saturday’s 49-14 loss at Texas Tech.

But at the same time, the two metrics we trust the most – running the football with a physical mindset and playing tough brand of disruptive defense – do not favor West Virginia in this matchup.

Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein is a warrior and a winner. In concert with running back John Hubert, the dual-threat triggerman directs a vicious option attack.

Although the Mountaineer defense ranks 109th in scoring defense (37.3 points allowed per game) and 114th in total defense (496 yards), it has the ability to load up against the run, but Klein can hurt you with his arm, even though he won’t ever look pretty doing it.

Of course, West Virginia’s game is much more about outscoring you than stopping you. That’s all fine and dandy, until you get exposed.

The Mountaineers will have to figure out how to solve the kind of defense that Texas Tech successfully threw at them – a variety of zone coverages behind a three or four-man rush – for the rest of the season. Those non-blitz rushes were able to disrupt Geno Smith’s rhythm and the disciplined coverage schemes limited the all-important yards-after-catch.

If Mountaineer wideouts Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey can’t wiggle through enough seams within the semi-slow Wildcat secondary, Kansas State could be on it way. Bill Snynder’s only two remaining road games are at TCU and Baylor.

Opening point spread: West Virginia by 4 1/2

The pick: Kansas State 37-35

3) No. 6 LSU at No. 20 Texas A&M
Sat., Oct. 20 — Noon ET, ESPN

After opening the season with a 20-17 loss to Florida, the Aggies have reeled off five consecutive wins, scoring at least 48 points in four of those victories.

The dynamic offense triggered by ultra-athletic quarterback Johnny Manziel has been nothing but impressive. Kudos to Kevin Sumlin to getting the A&M attack ramped up so quickly.

It’s on the other side of the football that the Aggies have their concerns. Last Saturday, they surrendered 615 yards of total offense in a 59-57 close shave at Louisiana Tech.

With the LSU offense sputtering, especially in the red zone, this trip to Kyle Field might be just the right tonic for Les Miles and his struggling quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

Opening point spread: LSU by 3

The pick: LSU 28-23

4) No. 18 Texas Tech at TCU
Sat., Oct. 20 — 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2

Fresh off their impressive 49-14 destruction of then-No. 5 West Virginia, the Red Raiders should be on red alert.

Last October, they had a similar experience, beating then-No. 3 Oklahoma to snap the Sooners’ 39-game home winning streak. The problem was that they followed up with a 41-7 loss at home to Iowa State, which was the first of five consecutive defeats that sank a 5-7 season.

Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege, who out Geno Smithed Geno Smith in the win over the cocky Mountaineers (32-of-42 for 499 yards and six touchdowns), will have his hands full with TCU in Fort Worth.

The Horned Frog defense leads the country with 14 interceptions and ranks within the top three in the Big 12 in total defense, pass defense and passing efficiency defense. That’s fairly impressive for a unit that had to replace more than half of its starters from last year. However, guess who tops the conference rankings in all three of those categories?

Yup, the Red Raiders, who yield only 143.7 yards through the air per game (fourth in the nation). New defensive coordinator Art Kaufman shouldn’t have to buy any meals in Lubbock.

Opening point spread: TCU by 3 1/2

The pick: Texas Tech 30-23

5) No. 2 Oregon at Arizona State
Thur., Oct. 18 — 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

This prediction comes courtesy of Shane Hedani from the P101 satellite office in Maunawili, Hawai‘i.

The Sun Devil defense ranks within the nation’s top 10 in almost every defensive category, but those stats lie. The FBS teams that Arizona State has faced currently rank 114th, 111th, 105th, 103rd and 56th in total offense. Weakling California is that lone non-triple-digit winner of that lowly crew that’s a combined 11-22.

The Ducks, on the other hand, rank eighth in total offense, fourth in rushing and second in scoring.

That being said, everyone talks about Oregon’s high-powered offense. However, the catalyst for this year’s team is the return of the “Gang Green” defense, which has come up with four pick-six scores in the last three games.

ASU isn’t without weapons and does feature the most efficient quarterback in the Pac-12 (third nationally). Sophomore Taylor Kelly has been magnificent, but remains largely untested. Oregon, UCLA, Oregon State and USC will take care of that in the next four weeks.

Put a fork in the Sun Devils. They’re done. With the ridiculous speed Oregon has on both sides of the ball, ASU will be happy to know that it isn’t scheduled to play the Ducks next season.

Opening point spread: Oregon by 12

The pick: Oregon 48-24

UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK

No. 21 Cincinnati at Toledo
Sat., Oct. 20 — 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3

Once again, the USOTW prediction comes courtesy of Marc Doche (@MDoche) from the P101 satellite office in Burbank, Calif.

Having disposed of the not-so-vaunted gauntlet of three directional schools from Michigan (Western, Central and Eastern), scoring 139 points in the process, Toledo is geared up for its biggest game of the season.

After beginning his first season at the helm of the Rockets with an overtime loss at Arizona, head coach Matt Campbell has won six straight, propelled by a juggernaut offense featuring a trio of junior playmakers – quarterback Terrance Owens, running back David Fluellen and wideout Bernard Reedy.

They’re well suited to attack a Bearcat defense that allows more than 250 passing yards per game. But the Toledo attack can’t abandon the run if it hopes to keep its banged-up defense off the field. Decimated by injuries along the defensive line, the Rockets will be tested by Cincinnati’s offensive firepower that has scored 101 points in the past two weeks.

With a full slate of Big East action on the horizon, the Bearcats, who are playing their first true road game of the season, won’t be nearly as amped as their MAC hosts, who boast a 4-1 record at the Glass Bowl against ranked opponents.

Opening point spread: Cincinnati by 5

The pick: Toledo 35-32

RIVALRY GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 12 Florida State at Miami
Sat., Oct. 20 — 8 p.m. ET, ABC

This rivalry used to be at the top of the pile. Now, not so much.

Michigan State at Michigan or Stanford at California could have worked its way into this spot, but the Brent & Herbie factor was used as the three-way tiebreaker.

Oddly enough, the Hurricanes haven’t won a home game versus the Seminoles since 2004, and they added the pressure of “homecoming” to this game.

The handicapping here is simple really. Since Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher arrived in Tallahassee in 2007, as offensive coordinator, the Seminoles are 20-1 when they rush for 200 or more yards.

Count on that happening. Only two teams in the country (Tulane [1-5] and Eastern Michigan [0-6]) are worse at defending the run than the Hurricanes, who surrender 253.7 yards per game on the ground.

Bettors ought to beware, however. Only one of the last 10 meetings in this series has been decided by more than eight points.

Opening point spread: Florida by 17 1/2

The pick: Florida State 34-20

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Though Aaron Murray will be looking to the likes of Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome to make plays at the tight end position, Georgia’s depth at that spot has taken a bit of a hit.

The school confirmed Wednesday that sophomore  Ty Flournoy-Smith was transferring from the program. It’s not exactly certain where he’ll go, but it appears the JUCO route is the early favorite. Bulldogs coach Mark Richt even said there’s a possibility Smith could return to the team at a later point.

Smith had some off-the-field trouble this past February when he was arrested for falsely reporting a crime. Smith claimed his textbooks were stolen, whereas police found out he tried to sell them back to the bookstore.

Smith played in eight games last season, but did not record a reception.

(Hat tip: Athens Banner-Herald) 

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In January, Houston running back Charles Sims announced he would bypass the NFL draft and return for his senior season with the Cougars. Now it appears that plan may not be in the cards for Sims.

According to Rob Sellers of CougarsDen.com (giggity), Sims is leaving the program, though exactly why isn’t clear. In a release from the school a short time later, UH said Sims was simply weighing his future options. One thing the release made clear was that Sims has not asked for his release, something he’d have to do if he wished to transfer. Sims has already graduated from Houston and would be eligible to play immediately if he decided that was the route he wanted to go.

“We congratulate Charles on receiving his degree last week and becoming a Cougar for life,” coach Tony Levine said in a statement, adding Sims “has been a leader for our program both on and off field with number of accomplishments.”

Another option for Sims could be the NFL’s supplemental draft in June. Obviously, this is all a bit out of the blue considering he’s just months removed from electing to return to UH for another year.

Wherever he ends up, some team, whether at the college or pro level, is getting an excellent running back. Sims was a first-team All Conference USA selection in 2011 and a second-team selection last season. Despite nagging injuries, he still finished 2012 with 851 yards rushing and six yards per carry — still good enough to lead the team. He’s also a noted pass-catcher and can be a versatile weapon for any offense.

Updated 9:15 p.m. ET: In a statement released to CougarsDen.com, Sims confirmed he is departing Houston. As you’ll read below, what the running back’s future holds still remains unclear.

“It is with regret and deep humbling, that I am ending my playing career at the University of Houston. I have a lot of great memories that I will carry with me forever. I want to thank the University of Houston for allowing the opportunity to be a part of its football program.

I have worked extremely hard while I have been here at U of H and made every attempt to carry myself in a manner that would reflect the utmost integrity upon the school and this program.

I don’t know what my next step will be. I have one more year of eligibility, therefore I may look to play (1) more year of college football or I may enter the NFL Supplemental Draft later this year.

My family and I will continue to discuss my options and we will make a decision in the near future.”

AP

Nevada coach and Pistol offense innovator Chris Ault stepped down as the Wolf Pack’s head coach last December after nearly three decades of service. Less than six months later, he’s getting a well-deserved honor.

In a Wednesday press conference, Nevada-Reno president Marc Johnson announced that the field at the university’s Mackay Stadium would bear Ault’s name going forward. So, officially, it’s now Chris Ault Field at Mackay Stadium.

“I was always blessed at this University but my biggest blessing was always my family,” Ault said at the presser. “Though there is only one name on the field, I’m hoping it reflects a University and community that supported us, and players and coaches who did so much for our program. This is not about one person.”

Sure, but there’s no denying Ault is synonymous with Nevada football. Ault had three separate stints as Nevada’s coach — 1976-92, 1994-95 and 2004-present.  He was also the school’s athletic director from 1986-2004, guiding the Nevada football program from the Div. II level to Div. I-AA to the FBS level (then-Div. I-A) in 1992.

In all, Ault spent 41 of the past 48 years at his alma mater as a player, coach and/or administrator. His final record over his coaching career was 233-109-1.

Ault was hired earlier this month by the Kansas City Chiefs as a consultant, demonstrating just how far his influence with the Pistol has gone.

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Oregon reportedly met with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions last month — perhaps around April 19th or 20th — over alleged recruiting violations dating back to 2008 in the Chip Kelly era. The hearing was a result of the university’s bid for a summary disposition with the NCAA falling through late last year.

According to documents obtained by the Eugene Register-Guard, UO received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA on Dec. 5, 2012. The NOA lists seven specific allegations of wrongdoing under Kelly, who became the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles toward the beginning of this year, that, per the paper, ”closely resemble — almost to the word — the allegations listed in Oregon’s failed attempt at a summary disposition…” Said to be included in those allegations is a failure to monitor charge that may include Kelly.

Additionally, the NOA states Oregon could be subject to penalties under the repeat violator rule because alleged recruiting misconduct involving J.J. Arrington in 2004. If Oregon is considered a repeat violator by the NCAA — a major violation would have to occur within five years of another major violation — it would shed light on why the summary disposition failed last year.

From the Oregonian on March 8, 2012:

In its online glossary of terms, the NCAA defines summary disposition as “a cooperative process between the school, involved individuals and the NCAA enforcement staff.”

It continues, explaining how an in-person hearing in front of the Committee on Infractions can be avoided. But then, in bold print, is the kicker:

“A school that would become a repeat-violator cannot use the summary disposition process and must go before the Committee on Infractions.”

In April, multiple outlets reported that Oregon and the NCAA previously “agreed” that major violations occurred in the use of recruiting services. However, the NCAA’s enforcement staff noted in the documents that there was “no finding of lack of institutional control and no finding of unethical conduct.” Because Oregon’s attempt at a summary disposition ultimately failed, the findings in the documents weren’t necessarily binding.

In March of 2011, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.com published reports that called into question the financial relationship between Oregon and a pair of so-called recruiting services.  One of those services was Complete Scouting Services and its owner Willie Lyles. Among the items of interest in the business relationship between UO and Lyles stems from a “2011 National Package” sold to the Ducks in 2010 at a price of $25,000 that contained no recruits that would make up the following year’s class. Impermissible phone calls and too many coaches on the recruiting trail are among the other allegations said to be facing the program.

Oregon has proposed a two-year probation period and a reduction of one scholarship for each of the next three seasons as a result of the alleged violations. The COI can add additional sanctions to the program, at which time UO can either accept the them or appeal. The university’s policy regarding the ongoing case, as it has been along, has been that of “no comment.”

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Some links from around college football on a Wednesday… 

• Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated projects the major conference bowl lineups starting in 2014.
• Renovations to San Jose State’s football stadium were approved on Tuesday.
• As he does every year, Bruce Feldman ranks his top-20 freaks in college football. Take a crack at who you think is No. 1.
• Oh my. Florida State’s Orange Bowl rings are very cool.
• Paul Finebaum is set to reappear on ESPN. The Wall Street Journal has the details.
• Michigan footballs: Made in the USA, not in Ohio.
• The AAC (formerly the Big East) has been looking into creating a new bowl game for a while, but that game could be held at Marlins Park in Miami.

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Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater ended the 2012-13 season as one of the early preseason Heisman favorites for the upcoming year. Whether he makes it to New York next December remains to be seen, but if he does, the junior doesn’t want any help from the school.

Per WDRB.com, Bridgewater asked his coaches for no Heisman campaign from the program.

“He went to the coaches not wanting a Heisman-type campaign,” UL SID Rocco Gasparro said. “He wanted it to be about team and if we won as a team individual recognition would come anyway. It says a lot about the character of Teddy, I think, and how much his team means to him.”

If nothing else, it’s a departure from his tone toward the Heisman last month. When asked in April if he would mind the school putting on a Heisman campaign for him, Bridgewater said ”Not at all. It’s something that I’ve been training for my whole life to be in these shoes, and at this stage, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

That’s because there isn’t, but if Bridgewater really is more focused on the bigger picture, good on him. If he — if Louisville — has a great year with the more than manageable schedule the Cardinals face, he’ll probably be in New York either way.

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Given the boot from Boise State earlier this month for violating team rules, defensive lineman Sam Ukwuachu says he’s found his transfer destination. And it’s back in his home state of Texas.

Speaking to Sic’EmSports.com, Ukwuachu says it’s a “done deal” that he will transfer to Baylor early next month. The redshirt freshman recently visited Waco and chose the Bears over Florida and Utah. Baylor cannot comment on the news until Ukwuachu officially enrolls.

“Baylor was my best option. It’s close to home. It’s a good program. [Boise St. Chris Petersen] really helped me to where I wanted to go. Things just didn’t work out up there,” Ukwuachu told the site, adding that while he was reportedly dismissed from the team, he and Petersen came to a mutual understanding that it was best to part ways. Ukwuachu also missed Boise’s spring practice because of what Petersen called “personal things.”

Ukwuachu played in all 13 games for the Broncos last season, including 12 starts. He was named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.

Barring a special waiver, Ukwuachu will have to sit out a season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.

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Like many of you, I’m sure, I was glued to the television yesterday watching as a horrifying tornado ripped through central Oklahoma.

While Monday’s events are separate from football, there is a football angle. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and his family live just south of Moore, OK, a town unfortunately hit hard by yesterday’s storm. Stoops said his family could see the tornado through their back window; he was working at OU’s football offices at the time.

“It crossed over just north of us and just about a mile from our home,” said Stoops.

To his knowledge, no player was directly affected by yesterday’s tornado. However, two assistant OU coaches, a grad assistant and strength coach, lost their homes.

We’re glad Stoops, his family, and the entire OU family, are safe. And certainly our thoughts go out to those who were not so lucky.

(Hat tip: the Oklahoman) 

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What do coaches always say to quarterbacks? You better be able to make all the throws in your playbook blindfolded?

Johnny Manziel says “challenge accepted.”

Known more for his improv ability, the Heisman Trophy winner showed off his throwing accuracy as well during a “Zorro drill” while training with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. Blindfolded, Manziel tossed just two uncatchable balls out of 29 attempts. Not too shabby.

“I have always said he has the best antenna in football,” Whitfield said. “I think he just proved that.”

And if anyone needs anymore proof, here’s a video of one of the passes.

It might not be on the level of a trick shot video, but it’s impressive nevertheless.

(Hat tip: Fort Worth Star-Telegram) 

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Tragically, the Little Casears Pizza Bowl and its accompanying mascots (pictured) are likely no more. At least when it comes to its current venue.

According to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy, the Detroit Lions are expected to create and operate their own bowl game that will be played at Ford Field beginning in 2014. The unnamed bowl would match teams from the ACC and Big Ten rather than the Big Ten and MAC, which is the current tie-in setup for the Pizza Bowl.

Et tu, Detroit?

The ACC and Big Ten are already headed toward a Pinstripe Bowl matchup with many bowl contracts expiring after the 2013 season. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has made a point that he plans on emphasizing more attractive bowl matchups in the future and the Little Casesars Pizza Bowl has been far down the conference’s pecking order. Where this new bowl places on the Big Ten’s new lineup remains to be seen, but an ACC opponent would be an upgrade.

Conversely, the loser in this scenario, should it come to fruition, would be the MAC. And anyone who loves Little Caesars. Bowl officials told the Detroit Free Press that the game could be moved to Comerica Park in Detroit, but it’s overall future appears to be very much in doubt.

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Tight end Jake Golic (pictured left) never made much of an impact on the field for Notre Dame. That’s understandable considering he sat behind guys like Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph. Now, the son of former Irish and NFL defensive lineman Mike Golic will spend his final year of eligibility somewhere else.

Mike Golic said on ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” that his son will transfer to Cincinnati as a grad student and be eligible to play right away. Officially, UC cannot comment on the transfer until he enrolls. The Bearcats are looking to replace the productivity of Travis Kelce, who was taken in the third round of last month’s NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Golic will rejoin former Notre Dame teammate Gunner Kiel at Cincinnati. The quarterback was added to UC’s roster last month.

AP

With 100 days left before the start of the college football season, the watch lists are already underway. Yesterday, the preseason Rimington Trophy watch list was released. There are 44 eligible linemen on this year’s list with 17 players returning from last year’s watch list.

Of the 44, nine players are from the SEC, while the PAC-12 and Mountain West Conference each have five candidates listed. Last year’s winner was Barrett Jones from Alabama (pictured).

David Andrews, Jr., Georgia
Russell Bodine, Jr., North Carolina
Evan Boehm, So., Missouri
Jake Brendel, So., UCLA
Betim Bujari, Jr., Rutgers
Ben Clarke, So., Hawaii
Sean Conway, Sr., Western Kentucky
Dillon Day, Jr., Mississippi State
Reese Dismukes, Jr., Auburn
Dominic Espinosa, Jr., Texas
Dillon Farrell, Sr., New Mexico
Jay Finch, Sr., Georgia Tech
B.J. Finney, Jr., Kansas State
Matt Galas, Jr.,  Nevada
Bryce Giddens, So., Arkansas State
Hroniss Grasu, Jr., Oregon
Gus Handler, Sr., Colorado
Jonotthan Harrison, Jr., Florida
Andre Huval, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette
Gabe Ikard, Sr., Oklahoma
Travis Jackson, Jr., Michigan State
David Kekuewa, Jr., Bowling Green
Ryan Kelly, So., Alabama
Zac Kerin, Sr., Toledo
Kody Koebensky, Sr., Arizona State
Tyler Larsen, Sr., Utah State
Taylor Lasecki, So., SMU
Corey Linsley, Jr., Ohio State
Macky MacPherson, Sr., Syracuse
Mike Marboe, Jr., Idaho
Shane McDermott, Jr., Miami
Cole Pensick, Sr., Nebraska
Ryan Powis, Jr., Army
Bryce Redman, Jr., Houston
Austin Reiter, Jr., USF
Weston Richburg, Jr., Colorado State
Isaac Seumalo, Sr., Oregon State
James Stone, Sr., Tennessee
Bryan Stork, Sr., Florida State
Travis Swanson, Sr., Arkansas
Evan Swindall, Sr., Mississippi
Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, Jr., New Mexico State
Brandon Vitabile, Jr., Northwestern
Robert Waterman, Jr., UNLV

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Some links from around college football on a Tuesday… 

• Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are reaching out to help the victims of yesterday’s devastating tornado.
• Are coaches keeping the potential for multiyear scholarships a secret from athletes? An interesting read here from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
• The Sports Business Journal asks if the ACC is late to the conference network party.
• Speaking of the ACC, Maryland’s 2014 game against Virginia Tech at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium is on hold for now.
• The Washington Post has obtained the documents in the ACC-Maryland dismissal hearing.
• Bill O’Brien will be featured on Tuesday night’s episode of “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” on HBO. It sounds like it’ll be worth viewing if you get the channel.
• Indiana got a late addition from a 320-pound offensive lineman.
• The pretrial hearing for Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been delayed.
• A lot of rumors are circulating about Notre Dame commit Eddie Vanderdoes.
• Alabama’s shattered BCS trophy is still worth a pretty penny apparently.

The Military Bowl is getting a venue change, and a slightly more appropriate one at that.

With the announcement Monday that Conference USA added a tie-in to the Military Bowl came the official news that the bowl would be moving from RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C. to Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis where the Naval Academy plays its home football games.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post and ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported the move earlier Monday morning. The game, previously known as the EagleBank Bowl until 2010, has been held at RFK stadium since it’s beginnings in 2008.

The game will select last in the ACC’s bowl lineup and give C-USA six bowl tie-ins in 2013. However, Navy is not precluded from playing in the bowl despite the fact it will now be held at the Academy’s home site.

The Midshipmen lost the inaugural EagleBank Bowl in 2008 to Wake Forest.

(Photo: NavySports.com) 

AP

Less than a month after granted his release from Arkansas, quarterback Brandon Mitchell has found a new home to finish his collegiate career.

Mitchell told ESPN’s Joe Schad he has decided to enroll at North Carolina State for his final year of eligibility.

“I like the culture, coaches, expectations within the program starting all the way at the top, and most importantly chemistry,” Mitchell told Schad. “I felt I built it with players in just three days. Bottom line is I want to win, and I want to win now. They have the best opportunity there for success and just had one missing piece.”

Because Mitchell is graduating from Arkansas this year, he will be eligible to play immediately. With the departure of Mike Glennon, Mitchell should have an opportunity to compete for the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback job, though Mitchell could play the role of an offensive athlete as well.

Either way, Mitchell will join former Florida QB Jacoby Brissett, who transferred to NC State earlier this year.